


Overthrown

by Speckleofdust



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bodyguard Romance, Detectives, Drama, F/F, F/M, Gun Violence, Jon and Sansa Are Not Related, M/M, Minor Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark, My First Work in This Fandom, Politics, Sansa-centric, Self-Indulgent, Threats of Violence, Very Minor, but oop de do here we go, idk if i can write crime drama, plot inspiration came from tt, the starks love each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-04-07 00:12:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19073551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Speckleofdust/pseuds/Speckleofdust
Summary: After the brutal murders of Ned, Catelyn and Robb Stark in a fatidic wedding, the spot of CEO at the Direwolf Industries is now empty. The Stark sisters must navigate through the pain to assert themselves in the world of politics and business, where everyone is their enemy, and try to find answers for their family's butchering while protecting the rest of their pack against a faceless threat.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first asoiaf fic so pls be forgiven if anything is too ooc  
> also this is the most self-indulgent thing i have ever written.  
> If i get anything wrong or confused about legal actions, terms and etc im sorry! B99 is my reference to the grimy world of police investigations

**Sansa**

Sansa’s eyes were dry as Dr. Reed explained their situation.

She sat primly on the office’s chair, gripping her bag with chipped nails, trying to pay attention to Dr. Reed’s words.

“As the oldest child, Miss Stark, you will receive 75% of the liquid funds your parents left. As you are already 21, you have the choice to assume your place as your father’s heir at the Stark Industries or leave the command with the Board of Directors,” Dr. Reed explained in a soft but not patronizing tone. Arya paced behind them, too unsettled to sit still. Sansa wished she didn’t. It was making it hard to focus.

They had received the announcement three days ago. Sansa was too busy with her graduation plans at KLU to go to Uncle Edmure’s wedding, and Arya had an internship overseas with the Braavos Dance Company. So, they weren’t present for the slaughter when it happened. Her father had been shot in the head, his corpse found trying to get to his son and wife. Her mother and brother both died from knife wounds, a fact that the cops had kindly described as odd, you know, for a massacre.

Arya still walked behind them. Sansa’s lack of focus turned into annoyance.

“As for you, Miss Stark” Dr. Reed looked up from his papers, addressing himself to Sansa’s sister. Arya glanced at him, still walking, step after step. “You inherit the summer house in King’s Landing, a place in your father’s company as an associate and the boat, Winter Wind. Our lawyers are already getting the formal paperwork ready for you to sign…”

“The boat?” Arya said incredulously. Sansa breathed deeply, preparing for a scene. “A boat? My parents have just been murdered, Reed, and you say I win a boat?”

She was clenching her fists.

“He’s just doing his job” Sansa said quietly.

“I don’t care!” She yelled, gesturing wildly “I don’t care about the company, house or the goddamn boat! Our parents just died, Sansa, and he sits there like nothing happened! Father is gone, mother is gone, Robb is gone…’’

“I know that!” Sansa exploded, not turning to her sister, fingers white on the purse “I know that, and the best, the right thing, for us to do right now is pay attention to what Dr. Reed is saying!

Howland Reed observed the brawl, face calm.

“You’re just glad that the company goes to you” Arya spat bitterly. Sansa finally looked at her, shocked face pale and blue eyes wide. A wave of anger, sadness and resentment swept over her, clouding her head.

“Is that what you think of me?” She asked in a broken voice “Do you really… that I…”

All traces of anger left Arya. She now looked guilty, running to kneel beside Sansa.

“No, Sansa, I would never, it was the anger, I swear, please believe me” She rambled. Sansa covered her face in her hands, lowering her head.

“I just… I don’t know…” She swallowed “I don’t know what to do. They were murdered, Arya, murdered and I can’t imagine why. I… we need to respect their wishes. The company is… _was_ father’s pride, we need to take care of it”

Sansa resurfaced, eyes rimmed red to match Arya’s.

“Please, understand” She pleaded. “I need you, Arya. I can’t go through all of this…” She gesture to the desk, covered in papers, documents and contracts “Alone. I just can’t”

Arya grabbed her sister’s hand, interlacing their fingers. They stayed like that for a long time, holding on to each other, breathing hard. Sansa’s head was pounding. She haven’t slept for two days, between the confusion and the grief and the bureaucratic measures they had to take in front of her parents sudden death. She had planned her parents and brother funerals not even twenty-hours ago. The pounding got harder.

“I’m sorry to interrupt” Dr. Reed said quietly, almost a murmur. “But there’s another issue we must discuss”

“Do we have to?” Arya said, all the fight gone from her body, leaving only exhaustion. She let go of Sansa’s hand to rub her eyes. “We’ve been here for two hours”

“I’m afraid it cannot go on unnoticed” Dr. Reed pushed his little glasses above his nose. Since she was a kid, Sansa thought the man looked like a forest gremlin. He was small, too small for his age, and his beady green eyes were too clear for her taste. She once told father her thoughts, and the man had only laughed. “I’m sorry, but I must be blunt. Your parents and older brother were murdered on a orchestrate attack, with weeks, even months, of planning”

Arya winced, but Sansa kept calm. She had discovered, about two days ago, that treating her family’s tragedy with a detached attitude helped to minimize the hurting. When she thought about it with coldness, it was almost like the hole in her heart did not exist.

“Yes” She said, “I believe the WPD is set to investigate the… case”

Dr. Reed nodded.

“Chief Mormont told me that he already assembled a task force of detectives to work on it. I asked them to come, to debrief you of their current deductions. They arrived twenty minutes ago and are waiting on the lobby for the best moment to talk to you”

“Send them in” Arya said, “We want to hear everything”

“Wait” Sansa interrupted “Should we call Bran and Rickon?”

“Bran didn’t even want to come here and Rickon is a kid” Arya reasoned, “They are trusting us to deal with this legal stuff”

“Okay, yeah, send them in”

Dr. Reed pressed the button on his phone.

“Meera, please ask the detectives to come in”

They waited for a few moments until the men opened the door and entered the room. Sansa turned around to evaluate them.

They were five in all, dressed in black, and younger than she had expected, except a small man with greasy black hair who looked like he was in his forties. A chubby guy carried a tray with two cups of coffee, which Sansa found amusing. In front of the group was a man who could not be older than 30, with dark curls pulled back from his face by a hair tie. He looked oddly familiar, but she couldn’t place from where. He came forth and extended his hand to her.

“Detective Snow, Miss Stark, I’ll be leading the investigations. I’m very sorry for your loss”

She shook his hand, trying to remember a Snow from her life.

He turned to shake Arya’s hand, but she interrupted his action.

“I know you! You’re Jon Snow. You went to school with Robb”

Bingo. Jon Snow blinked.

“Yes?” He said like a question “We went to the same high school”

“Aren’t you a little bit young to be leading a task of your own?” Sansa asked, suspicious. She wanted justice for her family, and a green boy playing cop would not be her first choice to make it happen.

“Some could say that, but I like to believe I’ve earned my place here’’

But Sansa still wasn’t sure. She could fully recognize him now. Jon Snow, only living relative of Daenerys Targaryen, heir to the Targaryen Empire. She knew just how much money and reputation could buy.

“Let me introduce you to my team” He said, stepping aside and gesturing to the other men around him “These are Detectives Grenn, Pypar, Tollet and Tarly”

Tarly, the fat one, offered the tray.

“Nice to meet you girls” He started, a bit nervous “You guys have been for a long time, and I thought you would like a little stimulant. I didn’t know what you liked so I just asked for an expresso”

Arya grabbed one cup.

“I could kiss you right now” She said, taking a big gulp of the coffee. Sansa carefully reached for her cup. She wrapped her fingers around it, grounding herself around the warm sensation.

“Thank you, Detective Tarly”

“You can call me Sam, if you wish” He said awkwardly but sweet. Sansa sensed a pattern.

“We are truly sorry for your losses,” Detective Grenn said with kindness “They were great people”

Neither Sansa nor Arya knew how to answer to that.

“Let’s begin?” She asked, tasting the coffee. Bitter, and losing its warmth, just like her.

She and Arya sat back down, but the detectives kept standing. Jon Snow gave Dr. Reed a file, which he promptly started reading.

“The crime scene started being investigated two hours after the occurrence. It didn’t appear to be breached or defiled, and that’s the best situation we could’ve had hoped for. Our forensic team collected the samples and sent them to further analysis. The bodies are at the lab, and Dr. Val is going over the autopsy. The results will be ready tomorrow morning, if everything goes well”

“Oh” Sansa blinked. If the results of the autopsy would come in the morning, the funeral would happen in the afternoon. The Detective’s words made everything feel so much more real, forcefully bursting through the haze of Sansa’s detachment.

Dr. Reed passed the file to Sansa, who opened it with trembling fingers. Arya scooted closer and peaked at it from behind her shoulder. There, typed into paper, were her family’s death certificates, the details of their death and the legal procedures of conducting the investigations. Sansa felt bile in her throat and forced it back down.

Beside her, Arya swallowed. She felt her sister’s hot tears burning her shoulder, and wiped them away herself. Arya would hate to let police see her cry.

“I think it’s enough for today” Dr. Reed said gently. “If I may, Miss Stark”

Sansa gave him the files. She stood and turned to the detectives.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, gentlemen” She said. “I look forward to following the investigation”

“We look forward to bring you answers, Miss Stark” Jon said, serious. “You can trust us for that”

The others said their agreements.

“I talked with your security,” Dr. Reed said, making them turn around. “A new bodyguard will be added to your household and will accompany you ladies everywhere”

Arya frowned.

“We don’t need a babysitter” She argued. Sansa grabbed her hand and squeezed.

“We actually recommended it,” Detective Snow said. “It is not safe for the heiress of the Direwolf Industries to be walking around unguarded. You need all the security you can get”

“We already have a pretty good security chief” Sansa joined her sister’s side. “We have Brienne. I don’t think we need anyone else”

She hated the idea of a strange man following her around, in her office, in her home.

“I apologize, Miss Stark, but your safety is more important to us than your opinions. Gendry Waters is a professional, and he has already moved north to join you”

Arya squeezed her hand harder.

“I don’t think you understand, Detective, but we don’t want him. You can’t force us”

“It’s for your safety” Detective Tarly tried to argue.

Sansa caught Dr. Reed’s eyes, trying to make him help them, but he had other ideas.

“I agree with the detectives. You girls are at risk. We don’t know if the people who killed your parents will not act again, we must prepare for the worst. Constant vigilance is exactly what you need” Then his expression softened. Dr. Reed got up and circled the table, going to them. He took their hands. “Please. Ned would want it, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you”

Sansa’s eyes filled with tears again. Dr. Reed, Howland, he was one of their father’s dearest friends. Sansa grew up playing with his children, going to vacations together, visiting his house for dinner. It was difficult to remember that, under all of his professionalism, he was grieving too.

Sansa rubbed her fingers delicately under her eyes, stopping the tears. Good thing she wasn’t wearing makeup.

“Yeah, we’ll… we’ll follow your instructions. We will hire this Gendry”

Arya shot her a look of betrayal, but Detective Snow’s shoulder dropped in relief.

“I’ll send him the information. He will be at your house tomorrow morning, ready for service” 

“Thank you for making our job easier, miss” The older man, Tollet, said “If you rich Starks all died, taxes would raise and the people would revolt. A public riot is the last thing we need right now”

The other detectives looked at Tollet with annoyance and disbelief, but Sansa let out a laugh, too high pitched for it to be normal.

“Yeah” She said, trying to control herself “Let’s not bring civil revolution into Winterfell”

Arya also snickered behind her hand. Sansa pursued her lips stop more laughter from bubbling up. The police officers were glancing at them with worry in their eyes. Sansa pulled her sister.

“Thank you again for your help” She told Detective Snow “Call me if you need anything”

“The same” He said. Sansa and her sister left the office, almost making a run for the elevator.

“Oh my gods” Arya said, still giggling.

“What?”

“The man who is going to solve our family’s brutal murders wears a manbun”

Sansa threw back her head and laughed hysterically. The other people in the building stared at them, confused. Arya pushed her into the elevator when it arrived, laughing just as hard.

“Sansa” She said when they were in the car, Podrick Payne driving for them. “I think we’re going mad”

Sansa scooted closer to her sister and hugged her, placing her head above the other one. They intertwined their hands again. Sansa thought that they touched more in three days than their entire lives.

“I know” And she smiled. Her eyes hurt so bad, she was so tired, bone deep tired. Sansa closed them and almost immediately fell asleep, the gentle rumbling of the car cradling her mind. In her dreams, a pack of wolves ran, howling to the moon. 


	2. Two

Val

“You poor thing,” Val said to Robb Stark’s corpse, “what have they done to you?”

She knew the answer, of course. His wounds were impressive, beautiful even, from a medical point of view. Five gashes, two on the back and three on the front, four centimeters each, too large to be from a normal knife. The cuts on the front looked almost symmetrical: two on the pectoral muscles, one on the stomach. Val had sent his heavy, blood-soaked clothes to the forensics lab, but the smell still clung to her nose.

His mother had been worse, somehow. Maybe because she had five children, or maybe because Val remembered Catelyn visiting the Freefolk Institute with toys and kisses. When Val saw the deep wound on her throat, going from side to side, and the scratches on that beautiful face, she had to take a moment to compose herself. Val thought about the pieces of flesh underneath Catelyn’s nails and shuddered.

And Ned Stark, with his brains spilled out of his skull, not even two feet away from his wife and oldest son.

She didn’t know why this case made such an impression on her. She dealt with dead bodies every day, cutting skin and opening organs was routine to her. Nevertheless, with them, with the Starks… even glancing at Robb Stark’s pale blue eyes gave her a dreadful sensation at the pit of her stomach.

She turned away from the dead man’s gaze, going to her computer to review her autopsy before sending it to Jon. She read the files over carefully, paying attention to every detail. It was a cooperative attack on every Stark; no man alone could’ve stuck his knife at Robb so many times like that. Not for the first time, she cursed Edmure Tully and his stupid whim of having an extreme private wedding. Rich people could be such fucking idiots, she thought. As if anyone cared about dumbass Edmure Tully and the girl he married.

As Val emailed the finished autopsy to her printer, she heard a soft noise from the hall. She looked up, pushing her glasses up her nose, frowning. Glancing at the clock, she realized she was probably the last worker on the building, aside from the security guards.

Val carefully opened the door of the room, peering out into the hallway. The lights were on, but there was no security at the end of it, which she found unsettling. Val grabbed her pepper spray from her bag, even though she was sure she wouldn’t use it. A little precaution was always good. She slowly got out to the corridor, trying to muffle her steps on the sterile floor, straining her ears to hear anything out of the ordinary.

She walked past other people’s labs, checking for anyone still working, but they were all dark and vacant. The noise of the lights flickering made her uneasy, and she tried to shake away the knot at the pit of her throat. Val made her way to the other corridor, still not seeing anyone, clenching the pepper spray can. She usually wasn’t one to scare easily, but the emptiness of the building left her sweating.

Val stopped at the end of the hallway and reached for her phone on the coat’s pocket. She dialed Jon Snow’s number.

“C’mon,” she murmured, “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.”

“Hello,” Jon finally answered. He sounded tired.

“Hey,” Val whispered, leaning on the wall. “I think something’s wrong.”

“What? What happened?”

“The lab is empty,” Val looked down at the can, scratching it with her nails. “Like, there’s no security here in my area, I don’t know where they went”.

“Wait where you are,” Jon said in a firm tone. Val rolled her eyes out of habit. “I’m coming. Please don’t do anything stupid.”

“Jon, do you really think…” Val paused.

She heard it again, a light sound coming from the left corridor. The ceiling light went off.

“Val?” Jon called. “Val, what happened?”

“Someone’s here,” she whispered back, already taking off to the left. It sounded like footsteps, but she couldn’t be sure with Jon yelling at her through the phone. “Shut up”, she gritted.

Jon got quiet. Val stopped, back against the wall, uselessly trying to adjust her eyes in the darkness. Frustrated, she let out a deep sigh.

“Please, whatever you’re thinking, just don’t,” he pleaded, but Val shook herself and continued forward, back against the wall.

Val’s mind replaced the fear with adrenaline, rushing through her veins like a drug. She couldn’t see anything besides her own hands, grazing the wall for support. She passed in front of a locked door and had to stop herself from gasping, pushing a hand to her mouth, suddenly remembering the purpose of that hallway and the labs it contained. It was there where the other specialists analyzed proof from crime scenes before sending them to the police department.

She breathed hard, walking as fast as she could without making noise.

“I’m almost there,” Jon said, startling Val. She had almost forgotten she had called him.

The lights came back on, drowning everything in a sickly yellow color. Val blinked at the security camera recording from the corner, heart palpitating. She moved the phone away from her ear and took a moment to understand what was going on. Someone came running down the right hallway, gun pointing at her back.

“Stop!” The security guard shouted. “Hands where I can see them!”

Val frowned and turned around, annoyed.

“Now you’re here? Where the fuck are the others?”

“Dr. Val?” The guard blinked dumbly at her.

She sighed with irritation and resumed her mission, reading the numbers above the doors. The guard spoke with someone on the walkie-talkie and approached her.

“Dr. Val, what are you doing here?” He asked.

“The guard is here,” she said to Jon, sending an unimpressed look to the man. “Which lab is dealing with compromised objects from Tully’s wedding?”

“I think… lab 32, I think. Why? What happened?”

Val hang up on him. She found lab 32 and tried to open the door.

“Unlock it,” She said impatiently to the guard, looking stupid beside her. “Quick”.

He glanced to the door, then to Val again. He grabbed a bunch of keys and took forever to open the door. She pushed him aside and entered the room.

Val cursed.

GENDRY

Gendry wasn’t expecting the dogs.

When he pulled up to the Stark household, he had almost regretted accepting the job. He knew these people were rich, but _wow_ , that house looked like a castle, all gated fences, gardens and high ceilings, with security guards around the whole perimeter. It even had fucking towers, one to each side, overlooking the back. The huge front doors were made of dark oak, two times his size, and a stone wolf snarled above it as a welcome mat. Gendry looked down at his worn out shoes, the leather almost splitting.  

_im here_ , he texted Jon from his outdated phone, _u didnt told me they royalty bro_

_They’re starks, what did you expect?_

_not fking stone gaguyles_

_Gargoyles*** and please be respectful, today is difficult for them_

_ye ik ttyl_

_See you_

After psyching himself up for three more minutes, Gendry ringed the doorbell.

He immediately heard sounds of paws scratching the floors and moved away in the instant the door opened, letting the three largest dogs he had ever seen jump through it.

The leading dog was brown with yellow eyes, almost as tall as Gendry’s chest. It lowered its head and snarled, its siblings following cautiously behind. Gendry’s hands were sweating.

“Nymeria, back!” A woman’s voice boomed from the house, but Gendry didn’t look, too busy staring at the dog’s yellow eyes. “Now, Nymeria”

After what seemed an eternity, the dog Nymeria gave him a last warning bark and slinked away, back to the house, the others following it. Gendry relaxed, hands uncurling, and faced the woman at the door. She managed to be taller than him, which took effort, with blonde hair professionally pulled back from her strangely handsome face. Gendry noticed that she had very beautiful eyes, blue and round like a child’s.

“You are the one Detective Snow recommended, I assume”.

“Oh, yes. Gendry Waters, ma’am, at your service”.

He offered his hand, anxious. The woman looked him up and down, eyes lingering at the crooked tie and scratched shoes. Then, she shook his hand with a force Gendry deemed unnecessary but effective.

“Brienne Tarth, head of security of the Stark household and your new boss”.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am”.

She nodded and turned around, entering the simplistic living room. Gendry found amusing such large walls with so little decoration. He saw the dog from before on the couch and stopped, shoulders tensing. Brienne let out a noise that could be mistaken for a laugh.

“There are five in total,” She told him, stroking the fur of the dog’s neck “This is Nymeria, she is Miss Arya’s. The one curled on the carpet is Summer, her brother and Mr. Bran’s”

Gendry noticed the dog by the fire, smaller than the sister but with the same yellow-gold eyes. Five dogs for the five Stark children. He wondered where Robb Stark’s dog was.

“Please sit down,” Brienne said, gesturing to the sofa. Gendry gingerly sat at the end of it, uncomfortable with Nymeria’s eyes following his every movement. “Now, let’s talk business”.

And they talked for a long time. Brienne explained to him the rules and protocols, from the time he should arrive to the clothes he should wear, detailing how he should talk and which weapons she allowed him to carry. Gendry tried his best to focus on Brienne’s words, guessing that a woman like that didn’t like distractions.

“By Detective Snow’s recommendation, you’ll be with the young misses all the time, guaranteeing their safety and comfort. I’ll always be close, watching you, making sure that you’re fit for the job,” Then, she looked at him straight in the eye, cold “If anything happens to the girls under your watch, you’ll be answering to me. Do you understand?”

Gendry’s mouth was dry.

“Yes, I do”.

“If I deem your behavior hurtful or compromising to their safety, you’ll be immediately exempted and will answer to charges, if needed”.

“Yes, ma’am”.

“Then we’re done here,” she glanced at the clock above the fireplace. “I expect you to be on your best behavior today”

Gendry nodded and slowly got up, trying not to startle the dogs. Brienne spoke something to her phone and, a moment later, a young man with a clean-shaved face entered the living room.

“Gendry, this is Podrick, my second in command,” she said. Gendry offered his hand and Podrick took it with a small smile and far less force than his boss. Gendry found it strange a man almost younger than him to be second in command, but said nothing.

“You two go ahead and wait in the car,” Brienne instructed, stepping up the stairs, “I’ll be there with the children in a minute”

Gendry followed Podrick to the large square-like courtyard, a slick black car waiting for them.

“Do you drive?” Podrick asked him.

“Yes”

“Here,” he gave Gendry the keys with a smirk, “Consider it your first test”

Gendry sighed and eyed the keys, a wolf head engraved on it.

“What is the deal with these people and wolves?”

Podrick raised his hands.

“Hey, don’t ask, don’t tell”

Brienne stepped out of the house then, with the Starks on her heels. Gendry couldn’t see the boys very well, as they quickly got in the other black car, with a woman and the biggest man Gendry ever saw following them. Brienne led the girls to the car Gendry was supposed to drive.

The oldest Stark was prettier than her pictures, even with her face pale and showing dark circles under her eyes. Her red hair was pulled into a tight bun, and she wore an expensive-looking black dress and shoes Gendry was certain cost more than his entire wardrobe. She entered the car without even a glance at his direction, but he could understand. They were driving to her parents and brother’s funerals, after all.

The other one, shorter, complained something to Brienne. Her black hair looked like it had never seen a comb, and she wore a suit instead of a dress. While her sister was the image of sadness and misery, Arya Stark seemed angry, carrying herself as if she challenged anyone to try her. She looked sharply at Gendry, scowling, and he quickly adverted his eyes.

Podrick rubbed a hand to his face.

“Let’s go,” he said, voice empty. The crisp cold wind twirled around them, leaving a promise of rain and even more gloominess to the early afternoon. Gendry understood why he was driving; no one else had the strength to do it. Not even Brienne, seated at the window, lacing her fingers through Sansa’s, surprisingly soft.

Gendry nodded and got into the driver’s seat, a heavy feeling down his throat.

ARYA

The graveyard was packed. It seemed like everyone had come to see the one-day-only exclusive of the Stark show.

The septon was talking, droning on and on about the seven gods, seven heavens, seven blessings and all of that shit, and nobody were even pretending to listen. Nobody but Sansa, who followed the man’s words like a prayer.

Arya didn’t care about what the septon had to say. She knew he was only there to honor her mother, who dutifully followed the Faith her whole life, even after marrying into a distant family who had no time for gods with names. Prayer is for guidance, her father had told her when she had asked him why they didn’t go to the sept with their mother, not for spectacles and songs. Arya had agreed, eager to please, and her dad had taken her to the woods that evening, to whisper at trees and listen to what wind had to say.

At that moment, looking at her father’s closed casket, she thought it was all bullshit anyway. The Seven don’t care, the trees don’t listen and her family is dead.

Robb wasn’t religious, but she thought he would have liked a closed off ceremony, with just his family and personal friends. Jeyne is on Sansa’s other side, weeping softly into a handkerchief, the beautiful diamond ring still on her left finger. Arya wanted to scream at her.

After what seems like a million years, the septon finally shut up and called them over for a final goodbye, before the coffins were moved to the Stark mausoleum, where they will rest with the rest of her long-dead relatives. Arya saw Bran hesitating and caught his hand. He blinked at her, eyes out of focus, and she didn’t even want to think about it, about what it means.

Her mother looked beautiful, and it was so weird Arya had to take a step back. Breathing deep, she tried again, focusing her gaze on the flowers.

“Hello, mom,” She said to Catelyn “I hated the dresses and jewels and fancy dinners and etiquette classes, I truly did, but I loved that you cared so much about me to keep trying, even after I failed over and over again. I love you, mom”

She had flowers around her neck, a chain of light blue hydrangeas, to hide the awful cut on her neck. Her perfectly manicured hands were crossed over her stomach and she wore one of her favorite dresses, the dark red one with little silver trout stitched on the collar. Red hair pulled into a fish braid, painted lips and blushed cheeks. Catelyn Stark could be sleeping. The twisted image of her mother, laying there like a living thing, _prettied up_ , made Arya nauseated. She stumbled back from the coffin, not trusting herself to look at it anymore. Bran let go of her hand, eyes still fixed on their mother.

Robb is in the middle, and Jeyne cried over him, touching his cold hand. He also wears his engagement ring, and Jeyne rubbed it, sobbing. Arya approached him, little Rickon steps behind her. Robb seemed deader, paler, his lips twisted downside, which Arya found a relief.

“Jeyne,” she said, tone neutral. The girl looked at her, all red eyes and stuffed nose, “Can you give us a moment?”

Jeyne opened her mouth to protest, but Arya kept her stance. After a few tense seconds, she nodded and moved away, going to Catelyn.

“Arya?” Rickon murmured, grabbing her arm, “I don’t want them here. Mommy and daddy don’t want them here”

Robb seemed so small, stuffed between the soft padding and flower petals that smelled extremely sweet, like putrefaction. The smell filled Arya’s throat, burying itself deep down her ribcage, covering her lungs with dead earth and rotting leaves.

“Me too,” She said to little Rickon, still looking at Robb. “I want them to leave too”

“Then _make_ them!” He whisper-shouted, blue eyes angry.

“I can’t”

She sensed a tantrum. If Rickon started screaming, she wouldn’t blame him, but Sansa would be mortified. Arya dragged her eyes away from Robb, small and stuffed Robb, with his red curls freshly cut, and called Osha over. The woman crouched beside Rickon, muttering to him, as Arya leaned down to talk to her brother.

“Don’t worry,” she said, much softer than she thought she was capable of, “I got things covered over here. No one will ever hurt us again, I promise”

When she straightened, Jeyne hovered over. Arya gave up and went to Sansa, standing at their father’s closed casket.

“It’s weird,” Sansa said as she got closer, blue eyes fixed on the sleek wood, “I have been thinking about my last words the whole week, but I don’t know what to say”

Arya kept quiet.

“I mean,” Sansa cleared her throat “It’s just so… stupid, to talk with a dead person. They can’t hear us, so what’s the point?”

“I don’t know,” Arya answered, “It’s cathartic, I think. It helps you to move on”

Sansa laughed, hollow and brief.

“I couldn’t say anything to mom or Robb either,” She confessed. “I just stood there, looking at them”

She fiddled with something. Arya noticed it was a gold chain, with a little Mother figurine on the end of it. She felt the earth again, making it hard to breath.

“Well,” Sansa sniffled “I’ll leave you to it”

Then it was only Arya and her father. She placed her hand on the casket, enjoying the cool temperature.

“Hi, daddy,” her voice was so small even herself had trouble hearing it. “I…”

For the first time, Arya felt hot tears prickling her eyes. She tried blinking them away, but it only made them fall down across her face.

“It’s not fair,” She continued. “I’ll miss you every day, daddy. You know I will. I’m going to tell you a secret. If I could bring anyone back, it would be you, daddy. Even with your messed up face. I would kiss it every morning, like I used to do, and you would hug me and ask what trouble I had gotten myself into”.

Arya giggled, an awful wet sound. She thought she would feel guilty, admitting to the world her secret, but a weight seemed to be removed from her shoulders. After a few more seconds with her father, she went back to her siblings.

People started to approach them. Arya felt her skin prickling, sweat forming on her back and hands. The Glovers, the Manderlys, the Reeds, even people from the South had come, emissaries from the Baratheons, the Lannisters and the Tyrells. Arya hated them all, hated their mechanical words and stiff pats on the back. Jeyne’s father tried to kiss her face.

“My prayers are with your family,” Maege Mormont said with a hand on Sansa’s shoulder. Arya wasn’t even pretending to care about what those people had to say, and she didn’t have to. Sansa handled them with grace, Theon Greyjoy and Brienne flanking her.

Jon Snow came forward. He stood there for a few seconds, looking for words that wouldn’t come. He gave up and offered Sansa his hand.

“I’m sorry,’’ He said honestly, dark eyes eager. Sansa gently took his hand on hers.

“Thank you, Detective,” She replied. They stayed like that for a moment, holding hands, until Snow cleared his throat and let her go. Arya noticed the look Theon threw at Snow, who positioned himself between herself and the new bodyguard, Gendry. He gave her a ghost of a smile, which Arya found amusing.

The last person to greet them was Roose Bolton, her father’s associate. Arya remembered being terrified of him when she was a kid, scrambling away whenever he visited.

“Miss Stark,” he said to Sansa, not attempting to touch her. “My condolences”.

“Thank you, Mr. Bolton. We appreciate it”.

Roose looked at them, his weird eyes analyzing them as if they were his prey. He stared at Arya and she felt like every layer of herself was coming off, only bones left.

“I don’t see your mother’s family’’ he continued, voice so low Arya had to strain her ears to make out his words. “Is there a particular reason?”

“Our grandfather is very sick, as you know,” Sansa answered calmly. “Uncle Edmure is taking care of him”.

“And your aunt?”

Arya frowned. She caught Jon Snow’s eyes and they showed the same suspicion as hers.

“Aunt Lysa is a very delicate woman, Mr. Bolton. Coming to the funeral of her own sister would only do her harm”.

“Of course,” Roose Bolton glanced at Jon Snow, pursuing his lips. “It is a tragedy. I trust our competent police force to catch the evil who did this”

“You have my word, Mr. Bolton,” Snow’s voice was ice. “We will find whoever planned this crime, and they will answer accordingly”

Roose Bolton twisted his lips into a smirk and turned around, the remnants of his cold stare leaving an itchy sensation on Arya’s skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so so sorry for the late post, but i got busy with college and stuff. also, i realized that this story may have waaay more plot than i anticipated, which is cool but terifying  
> a mistake i made in the first chapter: the stark business is called Direwolf Industries, not Stark Industries, im sorry i only have like one braincell left


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